Greg Esres wrote:
Suffice it to say that a clearance prior to the new procedure does
not negate the TAA sectors, unless it were a vector to within the
intermediate segment.

Ok, this backs us up a few posts. ;-) I believe this to be
insupportable even in theory, not to mention contrary to ATC practice
and expectation.

I would appreciate your agreeing or disagreeing with the following
statements:

1) ATC has the right to clear me to any fix they choose, as long they
assign me an altitude at or above MVA/MIA, yes?

Yes, provided the fix is where you want to be going, or eithin reason.

2) And it doesn't matter if my course happens to underlie any
published segment, such as an airway, feeder route, or IAP, because I
have an assigned altitude based on MVA, which assumedly meets 91.177
minimums and I'm not currently executing an IAP.

Yes, that is generally correct in spite of occasional violations of
91.177 by some MVAs and MIAs, but those are "technical" so far as the
FAA is concernec, and (as you state) so long as you are not currently
executing an IAP.

3) Once I arrive at that fix, if cleared for the approach, none of
the previous altitudes I flew while getting there suddenly become
illegal.

True enough, provided the approach clearance is issued crossing that fix.

But, you are not covering the circumstance where the controller places
you on a published segment, and clears you for an approach *within the
segment* at an altitude below the segment altitude. Until the new
direct-to-the-IF procedure came into effect that immediate places you in
violation of the Part 95 minimum altitude for the segment, which
typically would be a TAA.

And, the new procedure is not triggered unless the controller says the
magic words, not less than five miles from the IF. Further, the new
procedure can only be used for RNAV IAPs. (The magic words being: The
pilot is advised to expect clearance direct to the Intermediate Fix at
least 5 miles from the fix.)




(As supporting evidence, the AIM says "Once cleared to fly the TAA,
pilots are expected to obey minimum altitudes depicted within the TAA
icons, unless instructed otherwise by air traffic control." This is
clearly permissive.)